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Our Mission

Robodyssey's primary mission is to develop and provide instruction, instructional materials and robots and accessories to teach students the intellectual tools that they will need to be successful pursuing a degree and eventually a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM. These intellectual tools include not only the specific skills of building, trouble-shooting and eventually designing electronic circuits and integrating computer software with electronic hardware for robots, but also the more universal skills of using the scientific method, developing computer code to accomplish tasks and collecting and analyzing data.

Background

This system has been piloted and implemented for more than a decade in high schools across the county. Students learn the fundamentals of electronics by engaging in problem solving activities involving robotics that requires a knowledge of electronics to complete successfully. Presenting a problem that has an open ended solution encourages students to learn more than the basics.

About Robotics

Robots are part electronics and part machine:

Sensors gather information from the environment, which is often a very 'noisy' place.

Logic calculates how to respond to signals from the sensors.

Controllers deliver and condition power to actuators- motors, solenoids, lights, speakers, etc., to interact with the physical world in some way.

Chassis or mechanical structures hold a robot's pieces together as it interacts with the world.

Most robots rely on electronics to connect sensors, logic controller, and actuators. Controllers may be simple electronic circuits using discrete analog devices, or programmable digital computers, re-programmable to do entirely different things without being physically rewired. Roboticists may use programming languages to give their robots logical behaviors.

About the Founder

David Peins is currently an adjunct faculty member at Raritan Valley Community College in Bridgewater New Jersey teaching Electricity and AutoCAD for HVAC. He retired from public education after 28 years of service where he taught a variety of traditional shop classes since 1987. He graduated from Trenton State College in 1978 and taught junior high school shop for one year. He decided to take a job in industry and, after ten years as a machinist, drafter, machine shop supervisor and designer, he returned to the classroom ready to change the world. He has since earned a Masters of Education in Vocational Education from Rutgers University. In order to develop mechanisms precise enough and durable enough to make the robotics creations of his dreams a reality, Mr. Peins began manufacturing robots and robotics accessories for his students in his own shop. To this day, students refer to this magical parts factory as "Aisle 13, K-Mart." Many schools have closed their traditional 'Hands-On' school shops and replaced them with academic classrooms. The need for a company that provides educational robots and robotics programs, teaches hands-on basic electronics and the integration of embedded controllers and software with electronic hardware has never been greater. Robodyssey developed out of a love of engineering and design and a need to develop a way to get kids interested in pursuing careers in science and engineering. "I figured I had waited long enough for the robots I had dreamed about as a child. This generation holds the key to the Robotics revolution. The technology exists, now we need people in the field with good imaginations! I plan to do everything I can to get more young people interested in Robotics." Email David: dpeins[at]robodyssey[dot]com

About the Other Guy

Brian Patton is the owner and president of Thin Air Creations LLC as well as Vice President of Robodyssey Systems. Thin Air is a company dedicated to helping people and companies create new and novel solutions to difficult problems. Thin Air has the ability to grasp the problem, propose solutions, design software and prototypes, draft patent claims and even produce product in limited scale. Previous projects have led to solutions in automated pharmaceutical processes, new and novel research tools for electro-physiology and robotics. The latter of that list has led to the creation of the first affordable method of robotic expression.

Robodyssey Systems LLC is a company dedicated to developing robotic platforms for use in education. ESRA, which stands for "Expressive System for Robotic Animation" is now an integral part of the Robodyssey line. ESRA allows kids to learn the basics of computer programming in a fun and engaging way. ESRA has even found its way into other novel applications such as working with children with learning differences and helping to teach children the basics in how to be safe.